Finding God on the Ganges...

We are now hanging out along the holiest river in India, the Ganges. People come from all over to bathe in this river as is a very spiritual place for most Indians. Of course, they also wash their clothes, their pots and pans, their animals, AND piss, spit & shit in the river. None of this is shocking until you see someone down river scooping up the water in their hands and taking a big gulp!

In Rishikesh, which was our first stop along the Ganges, the river is actually very clear. The area itself is full of yoga centers and Ashrams and we met many people (westerners) that either lived there or had been there living in the Ashrams for at least 6 months. We stayed in a nice place up in the hills that over looked the valley. It was very quiet and nice. Each morning we would walk to the town and have breakfast at a place called the Madras Cafe. We would order 1 pot chai, 1 masala dosa (spicy Indian crepe), and one Veg Upattam (rice pancake). We would then head up and hear one of the Gurus talk for about an hour. He was actually french canadian, but you couldn't tell by looking at him. He had the requisite orange robe and shaved head and was wonderful to hear speak. He had a very soothing voice which alone was worth hearing. He spoke about losing the ego, finding peace, searching for your inner happiness...nice stuff. After the talk we sat on the ghat (steps that lead to the river) and watched the people bathe in the river. However, even more intriguing to us were the monkeys and Leslie was on a personal mission to photo-record every single monkey in the entire town. At first the monkeys seem harmless, but on further examination you actually realize that they are anything but. One attacked me on the bridge and ripped my shirt, while others stole any bit of food that you did not have packed away inside your pack. They had no problem just grabbing the food right from your hand.

Leslie's favorite spot in Rishikesh was a small coffee shop on the hill that served the best pizza in India. Of course, my favorite were the cookie vendors who in the mid-day made the most incredible butter cookies served up warm for only rs. 10 (25 cents) per bag. On our last day in Rishikesh, we ran into a palm reader and decider to hear about our past, present and future. According to this experts opinion, we have very good palms and good things are in our future. However, he did say that we both think too much. However, the good news is that once we turn forty..."no more thinking..." Maybe that mean we are going to lose our minds by then...who knows??

Namaste,

Kevin & Leslie